A standard clothes dryer is one of the highest energy consuming home appliances (e.g., a dryer can consume five kW when operating). A clothes dryer generally works by passing heated, dry air over wet articles of clothing and venting heated exhaust air containing water vapor emitted from the wet articles of clothing. The inlet air is generally heated by an electric or gas powered heater. The wet articles of clothing are placed in a tumbler, and the heated air is drawn into the tumbler and passed over and through the articles of clothing. The heated air heats the articles of clothing and any water contained within. Typically, the drying process occurs at or near the ambient air pressure and at a higher than ambient air temperature. Once the water is vaporized, water vapor is carried out of the tumbler with the heated air. The high operating temperatures of the dryer drive up energy costs and may damage the articles being dried.
Businesses, such as hotels, laundromats, and clothes cleaners, utilize large, commercial sized dryers. Further, industrial dryers operating on similar principles play substantial roles in various manufacturing areas, including textile manufacturing, food processing, and pharmaceuticals. Industrial dryers may take on a slightly different configuration than their clothes dryer counterparts. For example, an industrial dryer may replace a tumbling mechanism with a conveyor. However, industrial dryers operate on the same basic principles: passing heated dry air over damp articles to carry away water. Still further, other home appliances, such as dishwashers, rely on heated drying cycles.